The invention hereof relates to a shower stall curtain closure, or more particularly to the combination of a shower stall or bath enclosure that requires a flexible type curtain, such as made from plastic, where innovative cooperative means are provided to eliminate splashing of water from the stall or enclosure.
Shower bath curtains are often used with bath tubs to convert the bath tub compartment into a shower compartment. The curtains are suspended on a bar at a suitable height above the outside rim of a bath tub with the lower edge of the curtain placed inside the bath tub and with its edges being located against the end walls of the compartment. It is well known that the above arrangement suffers from the drawback of the shower water escaping through an area of corners defined by the bath tub rim and the end walls of the compartment.
The escaped water cannot only be a hazard to the one exiting the shower, by slipping and possibly injuring oneself on the floor, the water can cause permanent damage to the floor or underlying support surface. This can result in costly repairs.
With this recognition and attending problems known for years, the prior art is replete with devices or proposed solutions in an attempt to contain the water within the shower stall or enclosure. The prior art attempts are reflected in the following U.S. patents:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,580, to Dyckow, teaches a kit for use to fasten the outer surface of a shower curtain to an adjacent wall in the shower closure. A sealing protrusion extends from the wall adjacent the fasteners so that, when the outer surface of the curtain is fastened to the wall, the edge of the curtain abuts the protrusion.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,522, to Prian, relates to a shower curtain support fixture for hanging a shower curtain above a bath tub which includes a generally U-shaped structure having an elongated main portion and a pair of opposite end portions extending generally transverse to the main portion. A slot is defined in a bottom side of the U-shaped structure extending along its main portion and opposite end portions so as to provide a generally U-shaped guide track in the structure. Shower curtain hanger devices are inserted through the slot and slidable individually along the track provided by the slot. Aligned holes formed through the opposite end portions of the structure facilitate mounting of the structure with its opposite end portions extending in flush relation to oppositely facing bathroom walls disposed at opposite ends of the bath tub, such that a shower curtain hanging from the U-shaped structure by the plurality of hanger devices is extendable into the tub and along a front side of the tub and around front opposite corners thereof to effectively block water from spashing out of the tub over the front side and the front opposite corners of the tub.
c.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,551, to Harrison et al., discloses a plurality of wall fasteners positioned along the vertical edges of a shower curtain. The wall fasteners maintain the edges of the shower curtain in contiguity with the shower walls between which the curtain is hung. Thus, the water spray from the shower can not splash past the edges of the shower curtain and the enclosure walls. The fasteners mate with a corresponding fasteners on the shower curtain. Approximately the entire vertical edges of the curtain is, thus, sealed against the shower walls to thereby prevent any water from escaping.
d.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,481, to Lonberger, is directed to an arrangement for placing a shower curtain within the opening to a combination shower-bathtub enclosure which utilizes clamps, secured to the side or end walls of the enclosure, for the selective gripping of the free edges of the shower curtain when the latter is in a use condition. The preceding prevents unwanted water spray passage into the area outside of the enclosure and, thereby, overcomes a problem which has been commonly encountered heretofore. The clamps, spring-urged to a normally gripping relationship, serve convenience in use.
e.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,862, to Skrzelowski, relates to a shower curtain support defined by a track for slidably suspending a shower curtain across the front opening of a shower stall and around the end corners of the support rearwardly at the front opening. End portions of the shower curtain may be drawn around the corners and inside the shower stall to overlap at least a portion of the surface of the stall end walls in order to prevent leaks. Alternately, a continuous curtain support track is provided in a U-shape or other configuration. End pieces attached thereto support a curtain in a plane parallel to the wall surfaces to prevent spraying or splashing outside the shower area.
f.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,072, to Dezura, teaches a device for releasably securing to a bath tub compartment at least one end of a shower curtain arranged such that the part of the shower curtain near one vertical edge thereof is not only secured to the generally vertical wall of the compartment, at least a part of the front portion is also secured to the horizontal rim of a bath tub. The curtain thus forms, on releasably fixing same to the compartment, a corner envelope which effectively prevents undesired escape of shower water.
g.) U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,610, to Mortensen, discloses a shower curtain guard for use particularly in connection with shower enclosures above conventional bath tubs. The guard comprises a vertical bar or rail, attached by a double adhesive medium, to the wall at one or both ends of the tub. The rail is bent inwardly above the tub to hold the lower end of the curtain within the tub while affording a wider shower compartment above the tub. A spongy plastic seal prevents escape of water between the tub and the lower end of the bar to rail. Interlocking fibre patches on the curtain and on the rail, which are separable, secure the curtain so as to prevent water passing outside the compartment.
While the prior art offers proposed solutions for containing water within a shower stall or enclosure, none teach a simple, readily adjustable means to accomplish the goal of preventing splashing water from leaving the shower enclosure. The manner by which this simplicity is achieved in the present invention will become more apparent from the following description.